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Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (India)

 

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences ( KISS) deemed to be University, is the first University exclusively for tribal students in the World. It is a fully- free and fully residential Institute for 70,000 Indigenous ( Tribal) Children ( 30,000 students in KISS, 20,000 well placed Alumni and 20,000 students in various satellite areas. KISS, comprises KISS Foundation, KISS School & College and KISS University). KISS Foundation is an NGO in India headquartered in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It provides holistic education from KG to PG along with comprehensive vocational and life skills training to students from socially and economically backward indigenous communities from Odisha and the neighboring states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, etc.

Dr. Achyuta Samanta started the institute in 1993 with just 125 tribal children, the school ultimately aims to educate 2 million of India’s poorest children over the next decade. Indigenous education – Basic services, such as lodging, food, and medical care, are free for KISS students. It is located at the intersection of Education, Food and Holistic Development. The satellite centers of KISS are coming up in 10 districts of Odisha to cater to 10,000 other tribal children. It started modestly with 125 students has now become the world’s largest institution providing comprehensive development to the tribal children. KISS has been addressing UN Sustainable development Goals and has been accorded Special Consultative Status by the United Nations. KISS has been ranked 223 in the prestigious 2017 ‘Top 500 NGOs World, published by NGO Advisor-Geneva based independent media organisation.KISS is among the 10 best NGOs selected from India in this list.

Major Highlights and Collaborations

  • United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): KISS in partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is implementing a project on “Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) and Life Skill Education (LSE)” for about 10,000 adolescents in the institute and more than 200,000 across the state.
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): UNDP, in association with KISS, has started a Skill Development programme in Odisha.
  • Oracle: Oracle has supported KISS for creating 100 Smart Classrooms with interactive smart projectors and boards.
  • United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): UNICEF in association with KISS has established a Children Development Resource Centre (CDRC).
  • US Embassy India: The US Embassy has sponsored “English Access Micro scholarship Program”, which has been effective in gradually building up writing, reading, listening and speaking skills in English.
  • Bernard van Leer Foundation: KISS in collaboration with the Bernard Van Leer Foundation has started the Mother tongue Based Multilingual Education (MT based MLE) to address the needs of the indigenous children.
  • Employability Training Program: KISS has been facilitating TCS’s Free Employability Training Program at KISS campus as well as at a district level for the last five years. Earn while they learn: Every student undergoes skill training in one of the 50 trades offered, as per his or her talent.